The Denver Broncos spoke directly with John Fox on Thursday for the first time since the coach underwent successful open heart surgery Monday.

Fox spoke with interim coach Jack Del Rio about the state of the team. Fox also spoke with executive director of media relations Patrick Smyth about the status of Champ Bailey's foot injury and the rest of the Broncos' injury report. They also discussed all the comings and goings in the NFL, including the status of Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak following his health scare. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported this week that Kubiak suffered what doctors refer to as a mini-stroke during halftime of last Sunday's game.

Fox was in great spirits, the Broncos told me. The infectious laugh everyone loves so much was back. Fox even joked around, saying that he heard some of his players were going to fine him for missing a leadership meeting, and that he was going to file a complaint.

While it will be a long journey back, Fox's recovery is on the upswing and things are going great. Fox is expected to be released from the hospital sooner rather than later, likely within the week.

The Broncos travel to San Diego to take on the Chargerson Sunday. I'm told Fox wanted to get this message to his team: "Keep my mojo going in San Diego." Fox has roots in Southern California, as he attended San Diego State University.